Mob sets fire to church compound

UJUNGPANDANG, South Sulawesi (JP): Tension gripped the South Sulawesi capital of Ujungpandang on Tuesday following overnight attacks against two Catholic and Protestant buildings.

Some 6,000 police and military personnel were deployed in anticipation of "escalating retaliation for a bomb blast which damaged the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta," security authorities said.

"We have raised security alertness to the highest level, because we don't want to take the risk (of possible unrest)," deputy chief of provincial police Col. John Lalo said.

On Monday night, hundreds of people set fire to the Catholic Wisma Kare dormitory, kindergarten and elementary school buildings. Two motorcycles and a Kijang van parked in the dormitory compound were also damaged.

Traveling in motorcycles and cars, the mob moved to a nearby Indonesian Communion of Churches office and threw Molotov cocktails at the building.

Police and military troops were quickly dispatched to restore order. Warning shots were fired to quell the crowd.

Deputy chief of Wirabuana Military Command overseeing Sulawesi, Brig. Gen. Husni Thamrin and deputy police chief Col. John Lalo appealed to the crowd for calm.

A Hasanuddin University student, identified as Joko, sustained gunshot wounds when security troops dispersed the mob. He was rushed to Wahidin Sudirohusodo Hospital.

Another student, Rusdi, told The Jakarta Post the disturbance originated from a student rally to condemn the Istiqlal Mosque attack and push for an investigation into the case.

"It was a spontaneous move to show our solidarity," he said.

The students, from state-run Hasanuddin University, Indonesian Muslim University and the state Islamic Institute, staged rallies at their own campuses. They burned tires before taking to the streets.

South Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. Mudji Santoso told Antara on Tuesday that no churches were burned down during the incident. Police troops were deployed to safeguard 24 buildings, most of which were houses of worship, across the city, Mudji said.

At least 20 people were apprehended during the unrest.

The violence is the first reported incident of religious- related violence following the riots in Ketapang subdistrict in Jakarta last November. (27/30/amd)